At OCJIFL, our mission is to responsibly offer interest-free loan assistance to support and empower members of the Jewish community.

Interest-free means you won’t incur any costs to receive or repay the loan—no fees or additional charges will be passed on to the borrower.

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Yes you must be Jewish (or in the process of conversion) or be using the money to help benefit Jews in OC.

Yes, OCJIFL serves members of the Orange County community. If you’re not from Orange County, we encourage you to visit https://iajfl.org to see if there are other interest-free loan programs available in your area.

You must be able to demonstrate a good and reliable ability to repay the loan, typically by providing your most recent three months of bank statements. These statements are used to assess your eligibility for the loan. Additionally, you are required to provide a qualified guarantor as part of the application process to ensure the loan’s security.

Once a complete application is submitted, it is reviewed by the OCJIFL board to assess whether it meets the organization's eligibility criteria. The board carefully evaluates the application to ensure it aligns with OCJIFL’s requirements for interest-free loans.

Currently we have a maximum of $6,000.

The loans will typically be required to be paid back in monthly installments over a 18 month period.

Yes, you’ll need to provide a description of how you plan to use the funds and explain why the loan is necessary.

If you experience a setback and are unable to make your monthly payment, please reach out to us at OCJIFL as soon as possible. Open communication and transparency about your situation will help us understand how we can best support you. We're here to work with you to find a solution that aligns with your needs and keeps the loan process on track.

If your financial situation changes during the loan repayment period, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. Open communication allows us to work together on finding a solution that best fits your circumstances.

A guarantor is essential for securing your loan because, as an interest-free loan organization, OCJIFL does not earn any money from loan repayments. Having a guarantor helps to ensures that the funds will be repaid, allowing us to continue providing interest-free loans and supporting future borrowers within the community.

The guarantor needs to have solid proof of being able to pay back the loan in the event of a default, which we usually determine by looking at the latest 3 months of bank statements or 3 months of paystubs.

In the event that the borrower has defaulted on the loan and OCJIFL has exhausted all means of attempting to recover the funds from the borrower.

Yes, the guarantor can be someone who is retired as long as they are able to prove that they have the money to pay back the loan, which we usually determine by looking at three months of bank statements.

No, a guarantor cannot back multiple ongoing loans at the same time. This policy ensures the guarantor is not overextended and provides OCJIFL with the necessary financial security for each loan.

No, we do not conduct a credit check on the guarantor, and serving as a guarantor will not impact your credit score in any way.

No, the guarantor cannot withdraw their commitment after the loan is approved. Please note that during the loan interview, the guarantor will be contacted for final confirmation of their agreement to guarantee the loan. Once the guarantor provides this confirmation and signs off, they are legally bound to the loan. In the event of a default by the borrower, the guarantor will be responsible for repayment.

No, a guarantor is not required to reside in Orange County to qualify.

You will need to provide personal and contact information, employment and financial details, and the requested loan amount. Additional details, such as dependents or spousal information, may also be required.

We are here to support you throughout the application process. If there’s anything we can do to make it easier, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for assistance.

We aim to make the process as quick as possible so it should normally take less than a week.

If you cannot find a guarantor, your application will remain incomplete, as a qualified guarantor is a required part of the process. OCJIFL cannot approve a loan application without this essential financial security.

Yes, you can reapply if your application is declined. However, please note that the requirements will remain the same. If your previous application was denied because you did not meet the criteria, reapplying without addressing those issues will likely result in the same outcome. Before reapplying, ensure that your circumstances have changed and that you now meet the eligibility requirements to improve your chances of approval.